William F. Cody made his reputation and earned the monicker that made him internationally famous with an 1866 Allin Conversion Springfield Rifle, caliber .50-70. The Allin Conversion turned the Civil War era muzzleloading rifled musket into a single-shot breechloader. It was the precursor to the legendary Springfield Trapdoor 1873 in .45-70, … [Read more...] about Firearms Of The Frontier Partisans — The Rifle That ‘Made’ Buffalo Bill

The brutal blows of 2020 keep falling. Another great Texas singer-songwriter has gone up the trail. Hal Ketchum fought a long, courageous battle against an array of health problems over the past two decades, and now has succumbed to the effects of dementia. May he at last be at rest. Ketchum had one of the purest voices in country music. He was … [Read more...] about Trail Of Tears

One of the silver linings in the dark cloud that has loomed over the Year 2020 is that I’ve been sitting in my living room simply playing songs more than I have in years. Not rehearsing, not even practicing — just playing songs. Learning some new ones, digging out some old ones. Most of my writing effort has been here and in creating the … [Read more...] about The Frontier Partisan Balladry Of Jimmy Buffett

’Tis early for Yuletide musings, but the culture has forced my hand. No, no, it’s not that the stores have already given over my beloved pumpkin spice for Christmas treats and decor — I can ignore that. I’ve stocked up on pumpkin spice, same as I have on ammo. So I’m good. But... the trailer for Fatman has … [Read more...] about Santa Packs a Walker Colt

The term “Revisionist History” is freighted with negative connotations. That’s too bad, for our understanding of the past should never be allowed to set in concrete. I would agree that “revision” based on mere shifts in intellectual fashion or driven by contemporary ideological agendas is suspect. But revision based on new evidence or the removal … [Read more...] about More From The Trapline — November 2020

By Rick Schwertfeger, Captain, Frontier Partisans Southern Command, Austin, Texas * A restless, acquisitive people, exercising the rights of conquest, disturbed the old ways. One who fought back became a legend. * It wasn’t a border. The Spanish had extended their conquest of Mexico north to the lands surrounding the Rio Bravo del … [Read more...] about The Border Legends

Gotta say, the loss of Texas songster legend Billy Joe Shaver last Wednesday hit me pretty hard, especially coming as it did on the heels of the passing of Jerry Jeff Walker. They were hard-worn old men, and their time had come, but... damn. These days it feels like an awful lot of things I value deeply are slipping into the gloaming. My family has … [Read more...] about Working The Trapline — November 2020

A selection of the spooky, macabre and uncanny. If you’ve got any suggestions, put ’em in the comments and I’ll add to the roll call. * There’s some things in this world you just can’t … [Read more...] about Frontier Partisans Halloween Playlist

  Just like the songs I leave behind me I'm gonna live forever now — Billy Joe Shaver * A pair of desperadoes jumped the long black train just a few days apart. Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver have gone up the outlaw trail. Sure, they were hard-livin’ hardcore troubadours, and no one — least of all them — would have expected … [Read more...] about They’re Gonna Live Forever

The following concludes Lane Batot’s Halloween season guest post on lupine shapeshifting. Okay, now on to that one exception of lupine characteristics not exhibited by true werewolves, which leads us to Myth Number 2. You see, the transformation to a WOLF, with a competent shape-shifter, is complete EXCEPT for the EYES. Again and again … [Read more...] about The Truth About Werewolves — Part II